Sundowner of the Skies: The story of Oscar Garden, the forgotten aviator by Mary Garden is a Reading Paperback Book. In the early morning of 16 October 1930, Oscar Garden taxied his tiny Gipsy Moth across London's Croydon aerodrome. His plan was to fly to Australia, which was sheer madness as he only had a mere 39 flying hours under his belt. When he landed at Wyndham 18 days later no one was expecting him. His flight the third fastest after veteran aviators Bert Hinkler and Charles Kingsford captured the world's imagination. The press dubbed him 'Sundowner of the Skies'. Unlike most of his contemporaries who died in crashes, Oscar survived and went on to a career in commercial aviation. In April 1940, he delivered the flying boat, Awarua, to Auckland for Tasman Empire Airways Limited (TEAL), the forerunner of Air New Zealand. In 1943 he became TEAL's Chief Pilot and Operations Manager and steered it through its formative years. He left suddenly in 1947 and never flew a plane again. Sundowner of the Skies is a fascinating and compelling biography of Oscar Garden, an unsung hero of aviation, written by his daughter. He was also a very flawed and troubled man. This deeply personal story reveals Garden's failings as a father and the cascade of trauma and violence that has shunted down the family line. Remarkably, the author's compassion for her father shines through. AUTHOR: Mary Garden is an author and a journalist, with a PhD in journalism (University of the Sunshine Coast). Her memoir The Serpent Rising: a journey of spiritual seduction, first published in 1988, won the 2021 High Country Indie Book Award. Sundowner of the Skies: the story of Oscar Garden, the forgotten aviator was shortlisted for the 2020 NSW Premier's History Award. Her latest book My Father's Suitcase, a memoir on intergenerational trauma and surviving family violence, has won multiple awards. Her work has appeared in a range of publications, including The Humanist, New Zealand Herald, The Weekend Australian, The Guardian, Newsroom (NZ), Meanjin, New Zealand Geographic, and scores of aviation magazines. Born in Whakatane, New Zealand, she made Queensland her home in the late 1970s. 110 b/w photographs 'Beautifully written, Sundowner of the Skies is no hagiography. This cathartic family history is a profound exploration of inter-generational trauma and its effects on individuals, families and their shared memories' JUDGES, 2020 NSW PREMIER'S HISTORY AWARD 'An important piece of aviation history and a courageous personal story, vividly told.' MAURICE GEE 'Sundowner of the Skies is a fine biography and aviation fans will love every mile of it, while the social historian will revel in the stories of how things were so different' JIM SULLIVAN, OTAGO DAILY TIMES 'Author Mary Garden writes beautifully and honestly of her father, Oscar Garden, a hero from the golden age of aviation when intrepid men in tiny biplanes crossed the globe in flights that startled the world' GRANTLEE KIEZA, COURIER-MAIL 'Mary Garden has done us all a great service by bringing to public gaze this fascinating tale about her highly talented but hugely troubled father and the impact he had on her. ROSS FITZGERALD, WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN 'A searingly honest and well-written narrative, packed with fascinating and surprising detail' CHRIS CLIFFORD, FLYPAST 'Mary has done her father Oscar proud. She has assured him of his place in aviation history' MARTIN PLAYNE, ANCESTOR